Amalgamator



'3 Sheets-Sheet 2. (L F. PIKE. AMALGAMATOR.

(No Model.)

PatentedNov. 13, 1894.

R O T N E V N I WITNESSES: A WWJMM x 26W m: upmus PETERS co, PnuTaumQ,WASHINGTON, n. c.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

O. F. PIKE. AMALGAMATOR.

No. 528,976. Patented Nov. 13,1894.

I111 um I II IHHHIMI WITNESSES K Mm/Z W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. PIKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,976, dated November13, 1894. Application filed June 10, 1893. Renewed April 17, 1894.Serial No. 507,941. (No model.)

To all whom it may concermx I Be it known that I, CHARLES F. PIKE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Amalgamators; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same. I

My invention has relation to amalgamators of the form wherein-suctionforce is used to propel the ore or gangue through the mercury or theamalgamator, and a series of separate ways or chutes is employed fordividing the ore or gangue into different streams or flows in itspassage through the amalgamators.

Myinvention has for its object an improved form of such device forobtaining a rapid and thorough extraction or amalgamation of all themetal from the ore or gangue without waste of mercury.

My invention accordingly consists of th combinations, constructions andarrangements of parts as hereinafter more fully described in thespecification and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is hadtothe accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is anelevation of aform of amalgamator embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is asection on the line 11 Fig. 4 with division plates removed. Fig. 3 is asection on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a vertical section of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a section on line 33, Fig. 4.. Fig. 6 is a section on line44., Fig. at. Fig. 7 is a broken section on line 5-5, Fig. 4. Fig. 8 isan end View of a modified form of division plate for the amalgamator.Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of modified form of division platechamber for the amalgamator. Fig. 10 is an elevation, partly sectionalof such chamber with means for simultaneously varying the inclination ofall the division plates alike. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the same,partly sectional, detached from the frame or casing of the amalgamator,and Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing separate adjustingmeans for each cluster or set of division plates.

A represents the inlet or initial chamber of the amalgamator, which maybe of any suitable form, but which is shown composed of a lowerreceiving chamber B, having to one side thereof an inlet pipe 0, of asiphon or suction appliance, which propels the ore or gangue through thealnalgamator, and to the other side thereof an open flange top 6 uponwhich restsa perforated plate 6 and to which is bolted a tubular section0.

The chamber B from its inlet a to the centerof the perforated plateformed between the corrugations on the under side of a plate cl forminga part of or secured to the topplate b of chamber B, and the surface ofthe mercury'in chamber B adjacent to said corrugation is provided with asinuous or tortuous path (1 for the travel of the ore or gangue throughthe mercury in said chamber before arrival at plate I) which path may beprovided for as shown or as desired and is employed to obtain greaterdegree of contact of metalin the orewith the mercury in chamber B, or inother words to repeatedly turn over or agitate the ore or gangue in itspassage through said chamber in order that the maximum amount ofamalgamation may take place therein as possible before passing to theremaining parts of the amalgamator.

The perforated plate b is blank in the center or middle so as to causethe ore or gangue to spread itself after leaving the path 61 on its wayto plate b. Upon the flanged top of section 0 is a centrally perforatedplate 0 above which is a succeeding section D with an imperforate plated in alignment with the perforations in plate 0. The section D withplate 0 is bolted to the top of chamber B, as shown, and to section D isbolted the outlet section E which has a pipe connection ewith a mercurycatch pocket f communicating with chamber F.

As many sections 0 and D and with interposed perforated plates c may beused as desired. In allcases the perforations inone plate are oppositethe blank or imperforate sections of the succeeding plate; the lastplate of the series being preferably an imperforate one.

Such arrangement provides for the repeated distribution or spreading ofthe ore or gangue in its passage through the mercury in the sections C Dfor obtaining greater contact with the metal in the ore or gangue andcorresponding amalgamation in the initial device A.

The chamber F contains the division chutes or amalgamating plates f forseparating the flow of gangue or ore into separate thin streams toobtain the maximum exposure of the same to the amalgamating divisionplates f. As shown they are composed of series or gangs arrangedsuccessively in opposite directions as shown or otherwise as desired.These plates have side and middle strengthening ribs f on their undersurfaces and are superposed upon one another; the bottom one be ingsupported upon ledges f formed on or secured to the sides of chamber F.

At the end of each gang of plates f are mercury catching pocketsf whichare common to all the plates of the series or gangs leading thereto.These pockets f may be of any suitable form and secured to the chamber Fin any desired manner and have drain cocks g. The provision of thesepockets f at each end of the gangs of plates f provides for thecommingling of all the streams of water coming from one gangbefore thesame passinto a succeeding cluster. Hence the ore or gangue in thepassage through chamber F is repeatedly successively divided intodifferent streams or flows and then merged into a common stream or flowfor successive division into separate streams. This successive divisionand merging of the flow more thoroughly agitates, divides or separatesthe bulky material of the ore or gangue for obtaining the greatestpossible degree of exposure of metal to the amalgam plates andcorresponding degree of amal gamation. The successively located pocketsf also serve to catch all the mercury that may be carried with thegangue or ore so that none is wasted. The last pocket f of the serieshas a connection with the outlet pipe 0 of the suction device which isprovided with difierently located outlet-cocks h for varying the degreeof suction and hence the velocity of the flow through the amalgamator,and at its termination has a drain valve on with actuating mechanism mfor removing any accumulations of metal or mercury or other materialtherein, said pipe 0 when valve m is closed forming a settling pocket orchamber. If desired the discharge of the flow maybe through valve m.

The plates f may be straight in cross-section as shown in Fig. 7 orcurved or corrugated as illustrated in Fig. 8.

If desired the ways or paths between superposed plates may be equal inWidth or unevenly divided by the introduction of corrugated or otherwiseformed metal strips p as illustrated in Fig. 9.

If desired any suitable actuating devices may be used for exhausting theair from the chamber F or the bend of the siphon formed by chambers Aand F and the inlet and outlet pipes. In the drawings, see more plainlyFig. 10, such devices are shown composed of a suction pump or fan 5driven by a water motor's' actuated by the flow from pipe 0 The gang ofdivision amalgam plates F may be located to be non-adjustable as totheir inclination as shown in Fig. 4, or their inclination may be allvaried alike and at once or separately and differently as desired.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the gangs areshown located in boxes or troughs fwhich are connected to and supported upon a suitable arrangement oflinks f f f having a suitable actuating barf for simultaneouslyadjusting all the gangs for varying their inclination alike for all ifall have the same inclination.

If not such inclination will be varied accordingl y.

In Fig. 12 each gang is provided with its own adjusting device f so thateach may be separately adjusted and its inclination varied as desiredwithout interfering with that of any of the others.

The pockets f maycommunicate with chamber F as shown in Fig. 4:,0r suchcommunication may be cut 0E by means of flexible or yielding coupling 75between the ends of the gangs and the walls of chamber F as shown inFig. 12. The chamber '13 has a suitably located mercury supply pipe I)and a drain outlet cock Z9 As the construction and arrangement of thenovel features of my invention may be variously changed withoutdeparting from the spirit of the same I do not confine myself to them asshown and described.

What I claim is-- 1. An amalgamator having an initial chamber containingmercury, a sinuous or tortuous path therein for the flowof ore or ganguetherethrough, and a chamber containing gangs of division amalgam platescommunicating with separate common pockets for alternately andrepeatedly dividing the flow into separate streams and reuniting theminto a single flow, substantially as set forth.

2. In an amalgamatin gdevice having a flow for passing the ore or ganguethrough the amalgamator, gangs. of chutes in the path of said flow fordividing the flow into a number of thin streams, and pockets at the endsof said gangs for reuniting said streams in a single flow, substantiallyas set forth.

3. In an amalgamator, the chamber B containing a column of mercury, aseries of superposed casing sections with plates between said sections,to one side of and above chamber B, said plates each having perforatedand imperforated sections, and the perforations in one plate beingopposite to the blank or imperforate section in the other plate, and atortuous path between the inlet of chamber B and inlet to said casingsections, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an ore washer or concentrator, a receiving and treating chamberhaving a siphon discharge pipe, an air exhaust device, a pipe connectionfrom the highest point or bend of said siphon discharge to the exhaustdevice 5 and actuating mechanism in gear with the exhaust deviceoperated by the flow from the discharge pipe, substantially as setforth.

5. In an amalgamator, the combination of gangs or sets of chute amalgamplates, with pockets at each end of successive gangs common to all thechutes of said gangs, substantially as set forth. 1

6. In an amalgamator, the combination of gangs of alternately directedor inclined amalgam platesf, and pockets fjoining the adjacent ends ofthe gangs, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with chamber F, the gangs of alternatelydireotedamalgam plates f and actuating devices for varying the degree of theirinclination, substantially as set forth.

8. In an amalgamator, the combination with chamber F, the gangs ofalternately directed or inclined amalgam plates f and separate means foreach gang for independently adjusting the inclination of said gangs,substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with an amalgamator,

gangs of alternately inclined amalgam plates, the suction outlet pipe 0having difierently located valved outlets for varying the degree ofsuction from said amalgamator, substan tially as set forth.

10. In an amalgamator, the combination with the suction discharge pipetherefor, differently located side valved outlets on said pipe forregulating the degree of flow through the amalgamator, and a bottomdischarge outlet with valve m, substantially as set forth. 4o 11. Thecombination of chamber F, the gangs of alternately directed chutes orplates f, and flexible couplings between the ends of said gangs, and thewalls of chamber F, substantially as set forth.

12. In an amalgamating device having a suction flow for passing theoreor gangue through the amalgamator, a number of alternately directedgangs of chutes in the path of said flow, and pockets at the ends of andjoining said gangs, substantially as set forth.

In testimonywhereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. PIKE.

Witnesses:

THos. S. RODGERS, JAMES '1. DAILY.

